Too much work is cutting into party time

We hope you’ll be taking time off this holiday season, because it turns out many of you feel overworked and tired, and it’s cutting into your social life.

At least one in four employees felt overworked recently; and nearly half of you missed, or were late for, at least three family and friend events last year because of work.

These are the findings of a new study that surveyed more than 900 adults nationally via e-mail and online from Nov. 28 through Dec. 6 conducted by Kelton Research and sponsored by Ultimat Vodka as part of the company’s marketing campaign to encourage overworked Americans to socialize more.

The survey asked: “Which of the following have people felt in relation to their jobs in the last 30 days?” and it wasn’t all bad news:

Tired, 44 percent

Stressed, 43 percent

Underpaid, 35 percent

Confident, 31 percent

Overworked, 28 percent

Valued, 27 percent

Content, 25 percent

Excited, 21 percent

Work is also doing a number on our work-life balance . It’s becoming harder to stay up-to-date on personal matters than work matters, the survey also found, with about seven in 10 saying they’re better at keeping tabs on work responsibilities than family ones.

And even though you’d think it’s older workers who feel the most pooped and overworked these days, think again. The survey found that only 23 percent of employees age 50 and older feel overworked, compared with 29 percent for the 21-to-49 crowd.

While the survey found you think you’re working harder, government data on hours worked by Americans has hovered at around 34 hours per week for the past few years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But workplace experts have long surmised that employees today, many of whom are fearful of losing their jobs, are putting in more hours off the clock.

Are you working more hours? Do you feel overworked and tired, or excited and confident about your work-life balance? When’s the last time you partied with your friends and family?